“It looks like locally, people are supportive of the approach that’s been taken here, and I think this is the perfect example of why co-governance and co-management partnership is integral. It can work, and actually, everyone benefits from it.
“There has been misinformation, and I think people should look at real-life examples like this to see how and why this can work. It’s exciting.”
Despite the cost escalations at the Sarjeant Gallery, Sepuloni said she thought it was a worthwhile investment.
“The original building is beautiful, but the [new design] and the restoration are going to create a massive drawcard for the city, and it certainly fits with the Unesco title of ‘City of Design’.”
As for the election, Sepuloni remained positive.
“We’ve seen quite a turn in the last week with regard to the mood across the nation, with respect to the attention people are paying to detail of political parties and policies, and we’re certainly starting to see that reflected in the polls.
“So we always believed that it was possible for us to get over the line at this election, but that it would be tight.”
She encouraged people in Whanganui to turn out to vote.
“As a seat, as a city, as a place in Aotearoa, it’s very important. I wouldn’t even just look at it politically - I’m thinking of the space and how integral it is to the identity of Aotearoa.
“What we don’t want is for integral parts of the country like this to not have voter turnout.”
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
